THE ROYAL SWAN in Lake Gard

The royal swan or The Cygnus Olor, that is the Mute Swan, belongs to the family of the Anatidae (migratory aquatic birds with short and palmate legs), genus Cygnus, is among the largest aquatic birds of the Anatids. Native to Eurasia, the characteristic of the Mute Swan is its large size and long neck, the color of the white plumage (water-repellent oil on the feathers), the short and webbed gray-black legs, the red-orange beak with black strokes. The Royal Swan has a wingspan that can exceed two hundred centimeters and reach a length of almost one hundred and fifty centimeters. It lives in humid areas, in shallow and calm fresh waters, where by plunging "legs in the air", it tears off aquatic plants with its beak. The female nests near the shore, where she lays her eggs, on a nest formed by branches and generally surrounded by water. The male just keeps watch. Silent and territorial, it lives in flocks, is sedentary and migrates in wedge-shaped flocks (except if it lives in suitable places). As for its weight, it can exceed ten kilos, live a few tens of years and rests crouched on the ground, on one leg or floating. Clean the plumage with your beak. Generally monogamous, the male is larger than the female. It is a protected species.